w Page 602 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

'Good for our game': No. 19 Kansas, No. 25 UNC set for early-season clash
Two of college basketball's three winningest programs will square off Friday night as No. 19 Kansas travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face No. 25 North Carolina. ,Both teams are in familiar territory, as both have been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll every year since 2006.,But Kansas (1-0) rec...

Snow problem: Jaxson Dart, Giants cool with Chicago forecast
Sun splashed the Chicago Bears' practice field and temperatures were above 60 on Thursday, but the arrival of the New York Giants in 48 hours might look much different. ,Wind gusts up to 33 miles per hour and the threat of the first lake effect snowstorm at Soldier Field on the banks of Lake Michiga...

No. 9 Kentucky turns focus to Valparaiso after stingy win in opener
No. 9 Kentucky will wrap up its season-opening two-game homestand against Valparaiso on Friday night in Lexington, Ky.,Kentucky is coming off a season-opening, 77-51 win over Nicholls on Tuesday night. After a lackluster first half, where the Wildcats scored just 28 points on 10-for-31 shooting, the...

Blue Jays make qualifying offer to star SS Bo Bichette
The Toronto Blue Jays extended a qualifying offer to Bo Bichette on Thursday, meaning the star shortstop could accept a one-year contract for $22.025 million and not make his first foray into free agency.,Bichette, 27, is expected to be a huge attraction on the free agent market this winter. He comp...

Braves pick up $7M option on 3-time All-Star Ozzie Albies
The Atlanta Braves picked up the $7 million contract option for 2026 on second baseman Ozzie Albies on Thursday.,Three-time All-Star was secured at a bargain price and will make $7 million for the fourth straight season. The Braves also hold a $7 million option for the 2027 campaign.,Albies had 16 h...

Reports: Dodgers pick up options for Max Muncy, Alex Vesia
The Los Angeles Dodgers exercised their 2026 team options for third baseman Max Muncy and reliever Alex Vesia, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,The two-time defending World Series champions owe $10 million to Muncy and $3.55 million to Vesia.,Muncy, 35, is a two-time All-Star who batted .243 with...

Memphis hopes to have Brendon Lewis for pivotal game vs. Tulane
Memphis, left out of the first College Football Playoff rankings released on Tuesday night, still has a major goal ahead. Reaching it surely relies on the health of quarterback Brendon Lewis.,The journey to that achievement -- winning the American Conference and competing in the College Football Pla...

Pat Fitzgerald feels '100% vindicated' by Northwestern settlement
Former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald broke his long silence Thursday, telling ESPN he feels "100% vindicated" by this summer's settlement of his wrongful termination lawsuit.,In his first public comments since he was fired in July 2023 after 17 seasons, Fitzgerald also told the "College Game Day...

Red Wings F Patrick Kane (upper body) returns to practice
Nine-time All-Star forward Patrick Kane returned to practice on Thursday with the Detroit Red Wings after being sidelined with an upper-body injury since Oct. 17.,He practiced on his usual forward line with Marco Kasper and Alex DeBrincat, and also on the first power-play unit.,Kane, who turns 37 on...

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz headline Nitto ATP Finals groups
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz are the top seeds in their respective groups for the upcoming Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.,Italy's Sinner is the defending champion, but Spaniard Alcaraz is the overall No. 1 seed for the season-ending championship that begins on Sunday.,The dr...

Sauce Gardner debuts for Colts vs. Falcons in first Berlin NFL game
The Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts each hope an international trip can help fix recent setbacks as the teams meet in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday in the city's first NFL game.,Indianapolis (7-2) will serve as the game's 'designated home team' for the league's fifth game played in Germany. The ...

Lee Westwood takes jab at Rory McIlroy over LIV Golf comments
Lee Westwood offered a parting shot in Rory McIlroy's direction after the latter labeled LIV Golf's recent rule change as "peculiar.",Speaking on talkSport's Breakfast Show on Thursday, Westwood addressed the upstart circuit's decision to move to a 72-hole format. The 52-year-old Englishman then res...

Colts CB Sauce Gardner clears concussion protocol ahead of game vs. Falcons
The Indianapolis Colts' newly acquired All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner cleared concussion protocol on Thursday and is expected to play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Berlin.,The Colts sent first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell at the trade deadline on...

Nebraska QB TJ Lateef to make first start at UCLA
The loss of starting quarterback Dylan Raiola looms over Nebraska's closing stretch to the 2025 campaign, which takes the Cornhuskers to Pasadena, Calif., for a matchup with UCLA on Saturday.,Raiola sustained a broken fibula in Nebraska's 21-17 loss to Southern California last Saturday. The sophomor...

Vancouver Goldeneyes, Seattle Torrent reveal team names, logos
The Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes revealed their team names, logos and colors on Thursday.,The 2025-26 Professional Women's Hockey League expansion franchises were previously known as PWHL Seattle and PWHL Vancouver.,"The Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes are bold, distinctive, and...

LeBron James cleared to resume basketball activities
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has progressed to contact basketball activity and will be re-evaluated by team physicians in approximately one to two weeks, the team announced Thursday.,James was diagnosed with sciatica on his right side last month. Sciatica is pain in the sciatic nerve th...
Viral TikTok Star Brandon Dwyer Scores His First D1 Points for Florida Gulf Coast
Florida Gulf Coast walk-on Brandon Dwyer, a viral TikTok star, finally scored his first college points and the crowd went wild in an unforgettable college basketball moment....

Report: Don Mattingly set to leave Blue Jays
Don Mattingly is stepping away from his position as bench coach of the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Post reported on Thursday.,Mattingly's contract expired after the Blue Jays' season ended with an 11th-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday.,Per the repo...

Ex-reliever Craig Stammen named Padres manager
The San Diego Padres named Craig Stammen, a former relief pitcher for the team, as their new manager on Thursday.,The 41-year-old signed a three-year contract.,He is well-known within the organization. Since retiring in March 2023, he has worked as a special assistant in the player development depar...

LPGA grants age waiver to teen phenom Gianna Clemente
The LPGA Tour has granted an age waiver allowing 17-year-old Gianna Clemente to compete for early membership next month.,League rules require members to be 18 or over, but the high school senior from Estero, Fla., won't celebrate that birthday until March 28.,Clemente is competing for a tour card at...